J&R Symposium (Closed)
UPDATE: This business has closed.
Located on a quiet, gray Crown Heights street, walking into the stunningly designed J&R Symposium sparks a bit of sensory adjustment. The blonde wood shelves lining the wine and spirits shop, offset by merlot-colored walls and stocked with gleaming bottles, just takes you by surprise.
According to co-owner Ryan Granville, every bottle in the store has been personally vetted. “If you’re looking for wine to have coffee, or taffy, or chocolate residue, or a no-sugar blend — whatever your palate is — there’s a wine in here that you can buy.”
“We didn't want a bulletproof liquor store where you can't physically touch the bottles, and where the person behind the glass doesn't know about the product.”
You should take his word for it, as Granville and business partner James Lewis know their stuff. Lewis cut his teeth in the business during a wine store apprenticeship, while Granville came through a less traditional route: auditing liquor stores as an accountant for the IRS. (The path to success is not a straight line, kids.)
“We didn't want a bulletproof liquor store where you can't physically touch the bottles, and where the person behind the glass doesn't know about the product,” says Granville. In addition to J&R’s massive selection of international wines, the shop sells small-batch bourbon and other craft spirits.
1148 Union St
